Shoe sewing machine



July 2%, 1941.

E. E. WINKLEY 2,250,939

SHOE SEWING MACHINE Filed April 22, l939 3 Sheets-Sheet l o o D 6 Wzess mew. #cxzmw i j w July 29, 1941.

Fil ed April 22, 1939 E. E. WINKLEY 2,250,939 sssssssss G MACHINE.

July-29, 1941.

E. E. WIN'KLEY 2,250,939

SHOE SEWING MACHINE s SheetsShee t s Patented July 29, 1941 SHOE SEWING MACHINE Erastus E. Winkley, Lynn, Mass., assignor to United Shoe Machinery Corporation, Borough of Flemington, N. 3., a corporation of New Jersey Application April 22, 1939', Serial No. 269,433

14 Claims.

The present invention relates primarily to machines in which one or more work performin operations are repeated in regularly recurring cycles, and more particularly to shoe sewing m'achines having oscillating or reciprocating mechanisms for actuating the stitch-forming devices.

The stitch-forming devices of shoe sewing machines in present day use are actuated by cam or crank driven mechanisms, the necessary quick motions and dwells being provided for by properly shaping the cams, or in crank driven mechanisms by the introduction of radius arms, toggles or other suitable motion converting means. The use of cams, particularly in machines designed to be operated at high speeds, presents mechanical difi'iculties due to the necessity for steep sections in each cam path while other sections in the same path are useful only to hold the actuated device stationary, and are therefore formed as idle dwells. Frequently the entrance from a dwell to a steep section is so abrupt that undesirable strain is imparted to the connected mechanism. The use of crank driven mechanisms is open to similar objections and in addition such mechanisms ordinarily have a large number of links and levers comprising the motion converting connections, the weight of the parts necessary to give the required motions being so bulky in themselves as to limit substantially the maximum speed of operation. The forces set up in such crank driven mechanisms may also be undesirably great so as to require further increase in weight of the parts.

The objects of the present invention are to avoid the difficulties referred to above and to provide mechanisms for actuating the work performing devices of a sewing or other machine effectively at high speeds in which the idle dwells of cam or complicated crank mechanisms are eliminated, thus permitting an extension in the active part of the cam or crank motion substantially throughout a complete revolution. A further object of the invention is to provide a shoe sewing or other machine with actuating mechanisms having a simplified and improved construction, smoother motions and smaller space requirements than mechanisms for thesame purpose heretofore employed.

With these and other objects in view, the present invention relates to a high-speed machine of the shoe sewing type in which one or more of the stitch-forming or other work performing devices is actuated through suitable connections to a shaft running at a speed higher than that of the main shaft, the connections being rendered operative to actuate said device during less than the entire number of revolutions of the higher speed shaft per revolution of the main shaft, and rendered inoperative during the remainder of said revolutions. In the form of the invention hereinafter described, the connections remain operative throughout a single rotation only of the higher speed shaft. This feature of the invention is embodied in actuating mechanisms having connections driven from the higher speed shaft by means of a crank on said, shaft, a pitman or other member being oscillated by the crank. Preferably, the connections between the crank and the stitch-forming device are rendered operative at one end of the oscillating movement of the pitman while the connections are substantially at rest. In order to prevent displacement of the inoperative connections in the illustrated construction, a shiftable element is provided connected with the particular stitchforming or other work-performing device, which element is shifted alternately into driving relation with the oscillated member and into a notch.

in a locking plate to hold said device and the connections in fixed position until the element is again shifted.

While the features of the present invention in their broadest aspects are employed to best advantage in a shoe sewing machine in certain of their details, these features are of more general use and may be employed with different types of shoe making or other machines where it is found desirable to connect or disconnect work performing parts from the mechanisms for actuating them alternately during regularly recurring cycles.

These and other features of the invention including certain details of construction and combinations of parts are hereinafter described in the following detailed specification and more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings Fig. '1 is a view in left hand side elevation of the upper part of a shoe sewing machine embodying the features of the present invention; Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the needle actuating mechanism of the machine illustrated in Fig. 1; and Figs. 3, 4 and 5 are detail views illustrating three positions of the needle actuating mechanism illustrated in Fig. 2.

The machine illustrated in the drawings is a locking outsole shoe sewing machine similar,

except as hereinafter described, to the machine of u. s. Letters Patent No. 473,870 of French and Meyer dated April 26, 1892. All of the stitchforming devices, including a curved hook needle 2, a curved awl 4, a rotary shuttle 6, and a takeup 8, of the patented machine are actuated by slotted cams l secured to a main sewing shaft l2. When the machine is to be operated at high speeds, the mechanisms which include the cams for actuating the various stitch-forming devices are subject to violent vibration and heavy wear, and the problem of proper design due to the necessity of relatively quick movements and dwells is rendered difficult. The slots in the cams must be so shaped that each stitch-forming device will be actuated through its desired movements in timed relation to the movements of the other stitch-forming devices throughout a portion of each rotation of the sewing shaft I2 and during the remainder of the rotation, the particular stitch-forming device. remains. more or less inactive or at rest in order not to interfere with the movements of the other stitchforming devices.

Toenable small rotating parts having substantially all of their angular rotation useful in actuating the work performing devices in this type of machine, according to a feature of the present invention, one ormore of the mechanisms for actuating the stitch-forming devices requiring the greatest power and having the greatest extent of movement are driven from a secondary shaft I4 rotating continuously three times during each rotation of the main shaft l2; the shaft l4 being driven through spur gears l8 and Won the respective shafts and connected to the particular work performing device under the control of a relatively short throw cam 16 (see Fig. 2) on the main sewing shaft I2 during one part of each sewing cycle, and being disconnected during another part of each sewing cycle. By deriving thepower for moving the particular work performing device from the secondary shaft M, the entire angular rotation of the shaft may be employedin actuating the device and while the device is inactive, it may be disconnected from the shaft; To actuate theparticular stitch-forming device which, in the instance of the present machine, is the needle 2 from the secondary shaft 14, the shaft I4 has secured to it a disk '22 having an eccentric pin or crank 24 on Whichis supported a pitman 25 for operating'a train of connections arranged to disconnect and reconnect the pitman and needle.

The connections between the pitman and needle include .an arm 28 pivotally connected with the 'pitman and secured to one end of a rock shaft 30 having at its other end a slottedsector shaped driving member 32. The rock shaft 30 is mounted in suitable bearings in the machine frame and is rocked together with the sector shaped member 32through the pitman three times during each sewing cycle, andjduring one rocking movement of the member 32 it is connected with the needle to oscillate the needle t0- wards and from the work. To oscillate the needle, there is loosely mounted on the rock shaft 30, a gear'segment 34 meshing with gear teeth on a carrier 313 to which the needle 2 is clamped, the carrier rocking about a fixed needle 'stud 38 supported in the frame. To render the connections operative or inoperative to connect the needle and the rock shaft '30, the segment 34 has a rearwardly extending arm on which is pivotally mounted a pawl *or tumbler 40 arranged to enter the slot inth'e member 32. To'shift the tumbler 4D towards 'and'from the member 32. and to control th'e'disc'onne'ctingand recoim'ec'ting'of the ricedie, the free end "of the tumbler "40 has pivotally connected to it one end of a link 42, the other end of which has an enlarged slotted boss surrounding the rock shaft 30. The boss portion of the link 42 is loosely received to pivot within an opening in one arm of a lever 44 fulcrumed on a fixed pivot pin 48, the other arm of the lever being pivoted to a block 48. The block- 48 has rigidly connected with it a vertical stud 50, passing through the perforated arm of a cam lever 52 having a cam roll 54 engaging a groove 56 in the cam I6 the arrangement being such that when the cam lever is lowered, as in Figure 3, the tumbler will be withdrawn from the slot in the member 32, and when the cam lever is raised, as in Figure 4, the tumbler will enter the slot in the member 32.

In order to lock the needle in fixed position, whilethe tumbler 40 is out of engagement with the slot in the member 32, a notched locking plate 58 is provided having an arcuate surface concentric with the rock shaft 30. When the tumbler is withdrawn from the slot in the member 32, .it enters the notch in the locking plate 58, thus holding the segment 34 and needle carrier 36 stationary. The space between the locking plate 53 and segmental member 32 is insufficient to accommodate the tumbler 40 except at such time asit enters either. the slot in the member 32 or the notch in the plate 58, so that at no time is the needle free to move out of control of its actuating mechanism. To avoid undue strain and to insure quiet operation in case of slight mechanical inaccuracies, the cam lever 52 is connected with the stud 50 yieldingly through springs 60 and E2, surrounding the stud 50above and below the perforated end of the lever, the upper end of the stud being provided with an adjusting nut'64 to regulate the tension of the spring. The cam lever 52 has a relatively short easy motion and acts to'compress either the spring 60 or SBZbefore the tumbler 40 is free to move between the member 32 and plate 58, Thus, when the slot or notch in the member or plate is opposite the tumbler, it will be caused to enter practically instantaneously,

The. position of. the notch in the plate 58 is directly opposite the slot in the sector member 32 when the sector member is at the highest extreme end of its rocking movement where the rcrankand pitman centers are alined. At this position, there is. abrief dwell in the move ment of the sector member and the tumbler may be shifted from one position to theother to best advantage. The center of the opening in the lever, which receives the boss portion of the tumbleractuating link 42 and forms the point of pivotal connection with. the link, is so spaced from the pin 46 on which the'lever is mounted that it mayswing towards and from a position where the center of theopening is concentric with the rock shaft 38. "By this arrangement, the tumbler actuating link may be moved to shift the tumbler only when atv right angles to the lever 44. .A't other times,fwhen the link is parallel to the lever, no movement of the lever can take place because the .slot in the link 42 is .also parallel with the lever and the engagement of both sides of the rock shaft 30 (as in Fig. '5) prevents move ment ofv the lever. Since this occurs whenthe position of the sector member .32 is in an extreme position at, the, end of its stroke, and while the tumbler, 40 engages the member 32, there is no dangerof, the tumblerbeing shiftedfaway from the slot inthe'member 32.

While only the needle is illustrated as being actuated from the secondary shaft l4, others of the stitch-forming devices may be connected and disconnected from mechanisms actuated by the secondary shaft. Due to the higher rotary speed of the secondary shaft, a more rapid acceleration and retardation may be imparted to the actuated device or devices than ordinarily is practicable from the use of cams employed in the patented machine on the relatively low speed main sewing shaft. Also, due to the higher speed of the secondary shaft hi, the cranks or other parts of the mechanisms for actuating the stitch? forming devices from the shaft may be made smaller and lighter than with the use of a low speed driver without reducing the amount of power which they are capable of transmitting. Furthermore, the shaft and its crank 24 being of relatively small size, it is easy to enclose them within an oil-tight housing for lubrication purposes.

The nature and scope of the invention having been indicated, and a particular embodiment of the invention having been specifically described, what is claimed is:

l. A machine having, in combination, a series of devices operating in timed relation and in regularly recurring cycles to perform an operation repeatedly, as for instance the stitch-forming devices of a shoe sewing machine, a continuously rotating shaft making a plurality of revolutions during each cycle, connections from the shaft to one of said devices for actuating the device, and means acting during less than the entire number of revolutions per cycle imparted to said continuously rotating shaft to render said connections operative to actuate the device during less than said entire number of revolutions and to render the connections inoperative to actuate the device during the remainder of said entire number of revolutions.

2. A machine having, in combination, a series of devices operating in timed relation and in regularly recurring cycles to perform an operation repeatedly, as for instance the stitch-forming devices of a shoe sewing machine, a continuously rotating shaft making a plurality of revolutions during each cycle, connections from the shaft to one of said devices for actuating the device, and means acting during each cycle to render said connections operative to actuate the device during one only of such revolutions.

3. A machine having, in combination, a series of devices operating in timed relation and in regularly recurring cycles to perform an operation repeatedly, as for instance the stitch-forming devices of a shoe sewing machine, a continuously rotating shaft making a plurality of revolutions during each cycle, a crank on the shaft, connections from the crank to one of said devices for actuating the device, and means acting during each cycle to render said connections operative to actuate the device during one revolution only of said crank.

4. A machine having, in combination, a series of devices operating in timed relation and in regularly recurring cycles to perform an operation repeatedly, as for instance the stitch-forming devices of a shoe sewing machine, a continuously rotating shaft making a plurality of revolutions during each cycle, a crank on the shaft, connections from the crank to one of said devices for actuating the device, including a member oscillated by the crank, and means acting during each cycle to connect said member and device while the member is at one end of its oscillating movement and to disconnect said member at the end of the return movement.

5. A machine having, in combination, a series of devices operating in timed relation and in regularly recurring cycles to perform an operation repeatedly, as for instance the stitch-forming devices of a shoe sewing machine, a continuously rotating shaft making a plurality of revolutions during each cycle, a crank on the shaft, connections from the crank to one of said do vices for actuating the device, and means acting during each cycle to render said connections operative while the crank is 011 dead center to actuate the device during one revolution only of the crank.

6. A shoe sewing machine having, in combination, a main shaft, a secondary shaft arranged to rotate continuously at a speed higher than that of the main shaft, stitch-forming devices, and mechanisms for actuating the stitch-forming devices at least one of which mechanisms is controlled by the main shaft to connect a stitch-forming device with the secondary shaft during a partof each rotation of the main shaft and to disconnect said device from the secondary shaft during another part of each main shaft rotation. V

7. A shoe sewing machine having, in combination, a main shaft, a secondary shaft arranged to be rotated a plurality of times during each' single rotation of the main shaft, stitch-forming devices, and mechanisms for actuating the stitch-forming devices, at least one of which mechanisms is controlled by the main shaft to connect a stitch-forming device with the secondary shaft during a single rotation thereof and to disconnect said device from the secondary shaft during other rotations.

8. A shoe sewing machine having, in combination, a main shaft, a secondary shaft arranged to rotate continuously at a speed higher than that of the main shaft, stitch-forming devices, and mechanism for actuating the stitch-forming devices at least one of which mechanisms includes a crank on the secondary shaft, a member oscillated by the crank, and means controlled by the main shaft for connecting or disconnecting said member from a stitch-forming device while the member is at one end of its oscillating movement.

9. A shoe sewing machine having, in combination, a main shaft, a secondary shaft arranged to rotate continuously at a speed higher than that of the main shaft, stitch-forming devices and mechanisms for actuating the stitch-forming devices at least one of which mechanisms includes a crank on the secondary shaft, a member oscillated by the crank, and means controlled by the main shaft for connecting said member and a stitch-forming device while the member is at one end of its oscillating movement, and for disconnecting said member within the same sewing cycle when the member returns to the position in which it was connected.

10. A shoe sewing machine having, in combination, a main sewing shaft, a secondary shaft arranged to rotate at a speed higher than that of the main shaft, stitch-forming devices and mechanisms for actuating the stitch-forming devices, at least one of which mechanisms includes a train of connections having a disconnectible element controlled by the main shaft to disconnect a stitch-forming device from the secondary shaft during a portion of the rotation of the main shaft and to reconnect said device with the secondary shaft during the remainder of the rotation of the main shaft.

11. A shoe sewing machine having, in combination, a main sewing shaft, a secondary shaft arranged to rotate at a speed higher than that of the main shaft, stitch-forming devices and mechanisms for actuating the stitch-forming devices, at least one of which mechanisms includes a crank on the secondary shaft, a member oscillated by the crank, a notched locking plate, and a tumbler controlled by the main shaft for engaging the oscillated member to drive a stitchforming device and for engaging the notch in the locking plate to lock said device in fixed position after being actuated in each sewing cycle.

12. A shoe sewing machine having, in combination, a main sewing shaft, a secondary shaft arranged to rotate at a speed higher than that of the main shaft, stitch-forming devices and mechanisms for actuating the stitch-forming devices at least one of which mechanisms includes a crank on the secondary shaft, a slotted member oscillated by the crank, a shiftable tumbler for engaging the slot in the oscillated member to drive the actuated stitch-forming device, and yielding means controlled by the main shaft for shifting the tumbler towards and from the slot in the oscillated member.

13. A shoe sewing machine having, in combination, a main sewing shaft, a secondary shaft arranged to rotate at a speed higher than that of the main shaft, stitch-forming devices including a needle, and mechanism for actuating the needle comprising "a crank on the secondary shaft, a member oscillated by the crank, a notched locking plate, and a tumbler controlled by the main shaft for engaging the oscillated member to drive the needle and for engaging the notch in the locking plate to lock the needle in fixed position after being actuated in each sewing cycle.

14. A shoe sewing machine having, in combination, a main shaft, a secondary shaft arranged to rotate continuously at a speed higher than that of the main shaft, stitch-forming devices, and mechanism for actuating the stitch-forming devices at least one of which mechanisms includes a crank on the secondary shaft, a member oscillated by the crank, a cam on the main shaft, and means controlled by the cam for disconnecting and reconnecting said member and a stitchforming device in timed relation to the movements of the other stitch-forming devices.

ERASTUS E. WINKLEY. 

